GSP says Justin Gaethje should retire: 'He's already achieved everything'

Georges St-Pierre has publicly called on Justin Gaethje to hang up his gloves, arguing that the lightweight champion has nothing left to prove and that retirement would represent the perfect ending to an already complete career.

St-Pierre, the 45-year-old Canadian legend who compiled a 26-2 record across his own career out of Tristar Gym, said he would walk away if he were in Gaethje's position. The former welterweight champion questioned what more Gaethje could realistically achieve, suggesting the timing is right for a clean exit.

Gaethje, 37, currently holds the lightweight title and carries a 28-5 record. The Arizona-born fighter out of Genesis Training Center has built one of the most entertaining resumes in the division, averaging 6.48 significant strikes landed per minute with a striking accuracy of 58 percent. Those numbers reflect a career defined by high-output, forward-pressure fighting that has consistently delivered memorable performances.

Why it matters

• Gaethje is the reigning lightweight champion, so any retirement discussion carries immediate divisional implications for a stacked 155-pound title picture.
• St-Pierre's comments carry weight given his own status as one of the sport's most decorated champions, having averaged 4.16 takedowns per 15 minutes and 3.78 significant strikes landed per minute across a dominant run.
• The style matchup between Gaethje's volume striking and the rigors of top lightweight competition makes the long-term wear-and-tear question a legitimate one.
• At 37, Gaethje is at an age where several fighters have chosen to step away rather than risk diminishing returns at the championship level.

St-Pierre stopped short of demanding anything, framing his remarks as a personal perspective on what he would do in the same situation, not a direct instruction to Gaethje.